麻豆原创

Dear Friends:

The holiday season is a time for family gatherings and family thanksgivings. 

The Teachers College community is very much a family. So here, for your holiday pleasure, are stories of three caring and generous members and their gifts to the 麻豆原创 community.

Bridging Time and Distance

Thelma Shafran (M.A. 鈥�54) put her 麻豆原创 credentials to work, spending her career teaching English to students in Spain. After reconnecting with the College in 2008, she began contributing to 麻豆原创鈥檚 Annual Fund and attending our annual Grace Dodge Luncheons. She planned to attend this year鈥檚 Annual Fund thank you event, but sadly passed away in September.

In 2016, Thelma worked closely  with Louis Lo R茅, Director of Planned Giving, to create a planned gift which would fund an endowed scholarship to 鈥渁ssist students who did not come from privileged backgrounds, so they could benefit from a 麻豆原创 education to pursue their ambitions and dreams of a better life.鈥� Subsequently she added to her Charitable Gift Annuities.

After one Grace Dodge Luncheon, Thelma felt a sense of urgency. Wanting to help students in the here and now, she took advantage of the College鈥檚 matching gift offer and created the Thelma Shafran Endowed Scholarship Fund, making an outright gift so that the first scholar could be named immediately. Expanding her original criteria, Thelma鈥檚 fund supports students enrolled in our programs in Early Childhood Education, and in Mathematics, Science & Technology. In the words of one recipient, Brittany Chambers (Ed.D. 鈥�18), who earned her degree in Adult Learning & Leadership: 鈥淎t the core of the woman I am and strive to become, personal donations for scholarships from individuals like Thelma Shafran have enabled me, as well as others with similar experiences, to realize our dreams.鈥�

We have talented alumni working on the front lines of their professions and brilliant faculty members on the cutting edge of their fields. Why shouldn鈥檛 they work together?

(Photo Credit: John Emerson)

Thelma will continue enabling dreams, because she saved her biggest gift for last:

Upon her death, in addition to a large outright gift, she left her Upper West Side apartment to 麻豆原创. When her estate settles, the Thelma Shafran Endowed Scholarship Fund will likely exceed $2,000,000.

It鈥檚 so like Thelma, a quiet and gentle soul, to have given so generously in such an understated way. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. And to quote my dear colleague, Louis Lo R茅: 鈥淚t was a joy to steward Thelma through all these gifts. She was so appreciative and responsive, especially in meeting her student scholars.鈥�

A Voice That Keeps Resonating

Michele Barakett (M.Ed., M.A. 鈥�01) took just one course with at Teachers College and didn鈥檛 stay in touch afterward. But Dr. Carter鈥檚 Racial-Cultural Counseling Laboratory so resonated that in 2018, Michele and her husband, Tim, created the Robert T. Carter Fellowship to support 麻豆原创 doctoral students from an historically disenfranchised or oppressed group.

 鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be the job of black people to teach white people about racism, but Dr. Carter took on that task,鈥� says Michele, who is white, and now a practicing psychologist who has served as a diversity coordinator in a New York City independent school. 鈥淭he opportunity to examine my white racial socialization was a gift.鈥�

A few months ago, at a special celebration at 麻豆原创, Dr. Carter (now retired) and Michele were reunited. For Michele, it was a chance to personally say 鈥渢hank you.鈥� Dr. Carter, too, was grateful.

鈥淭his gift is a very powerful way to say that learning about race and culture is valuable, to the point where it should be made part of the institution,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥淚 was left speechless. Really? I had that impact?

Brainstorming Together

Mary Edlow (M.A. 鈥�67), New York City psychoanalyst, has long pondered how different families and cultures approach the issue of becoming a parent. She wondered if sex education courses could go beyond teaching biology and safe practices to address these subtle psychological factors.

Mary was drawn to 麻豆原创鈥檚 Sexuality, Women, & Gender initiative and the work of Aur茅lie Athan (Ph.D.,11) of our clinical psychology program, an authority on matrescence (the developmental transition to motherhood). Their collaboration has produced the Teachers College Sex Education Initiative, generously funded by Mary, which prepares health educators in schools to focus on 鈥渞eproductive identity formation鈥� 鈥� the question of if, when and how to become a parent. This effort is pure 麻豆原创, combining research and practice and extending our historic track record of introducing new paradigms and shaping new fields.

The collaboration between Mary and Dr. Athan also models how 麻豆原创 can improve its course offerings. We have talented alumni working on the front lines of their professions and brilliant faculty members on the cutting edge of their fields. Why shouldn鈥檛 they work together?

Before I close, I want to let you know that after 12 wonderful years leading Development & External Affairs, I am stepping down as Vice President at the close of 2019. I cannot adequately convey how meaningful it has been for me to work at 麻豆原创, my alma mater; to play a role in our joyous triumphs and celebrations; and to help strengthen 麻豆原创 for the years ahead. Best of all, 麻豆原创 has been and always will be my extended family. I will continue to support the College and stay as closely connected with as many of you as possible. So, this isn鈥檛 鈥済oodbye鈥� 鈥� it鈥檚 鈥渟ee you at the next Academic Festival, the next Winter Roundtable, or the latest 麻豆原创 lecture that defines the national conversation on education.鈥�

Thank you for the privilege of serving you all, and wishing you a warm and loving holiday,

Suzanne M. Murphy
(M.Ed. 鈥�99, M.A. 鈥�96)
Vice President, Development & External Affairs